Western Australia leading the way on gender equity in sport governance

Following the launch this week of the National Gender Equity in Sport Governance Policy – developed by the Australian Sports Commission -  Western Australian Sport and Recreation Minister David Templeman noted that  WA is leading the way with already more than 50% female representation on State sporting association boards and committees through existing learning programs and development opportunities.

The National Gender Equity in Sport Governance Policy prioritises diversity and gender equity to create a more vibrant and successful sporting landscape.

The Western Australian Government, which supports the National Gender Equity in Sport Governance Policy, has highlighted it has  successfully increased women's representation on State sporting association boards and committees from 39.7% to 52.1% since the 2019 implementation of Women in Leadership Targets - exceeding the 50% benchmark in alignment with the national policy.

Minister Templeman added "we need increased female representation in decision-making roles across our sporting sector, particularly for issues affecting women.

"This policy looks to drive meaningful change and improve gender equity in governance and leadership positions in sport.

"Having diversity in senior roles enriches decision-making and provides a wider range of skills, perspectives, and experiences, leading to improved performance."

The policy, developed by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), in collaboration with the State and Territory Agencies for Sport and Recreation (STASR), provides targets aimed at achieving higher rates of gender balance across sporting boards and leadership teams.

By committing to these targets, sporting organisations will unlock a broader range of benefits, skills, perspectives, and experiences leading to enhanced decision-making and performance.

Despite equal participation rates between genders, women remain significantly underrepresented in key leadership roles across Australian sports.

Current statistics reveal that only 25% of national sporting organisations and national sporting organisations for people with disability Chairs are women, with similar disparities seen in CEO roles and high-performance coaching positions.

Recognising the urgent need for change, the ASC and STASR have set targets to achieve sustainable gender equity within the sector by no later than 1st July 2027.

Targets include ensuring that 50% of all board directors, Chairs, and specified subcommittee members are women and/or gender diverse individuals with each jurisdiction adopting its own mechanisms, timeframes and compliance measures to reach the targets.

To monitor progress, organisations are required to report annually on their status against the targets and the systems they have in place to ensure gender equity.

To support this, the ASC and STASR are providing programs and resources to assist sporting organisations in meeting the gender equity targets.

For more information about the policy and support programs and resources, visit www.clearinghouseforsport.gov.au/networks/gender-equity

Image. Cover of National Gender Equity in Sport Governance Policy